This disclosure relates to first stage turbine vanes and associated mounting arrangement.
A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Core flow air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The combustor section includes a combustor housing with a flange used to mount the combustor housing with respect to the engine's static structure. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section.
First stage turbine vanes are arranged immediately downstream from the combustor section to efficiently communicate the core flow into the first stage of turbine blades. Prior technology for the first stage turbine vanes employs two separate features to complete two separate tasks, affixing the vanes circumferentially and supporting the combustor in the event of a compressor surge condition.
Typically an array of separate vanes or clusters of vanes are mounted with respect to the engines static structure. The engine static structure includes a circumferential load transfer assembly having a circumferential array of tabs, which are used to interface with a fork on each of the first vanes to affix the vanes circumferentially. The engine static structure also includes a boss separate from the tabs to which a retainer is bolted to provide a retaining assembly. The retaining assembly secures the combustor flange to the engine static structure via the vanes and holds the flange in place in case of a compressor surge condition. These two features are separate from one another and located circumferentially between each other around the engine static structure.